


Temporal Distortion

by WolfKomoki



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry Allen Needs a Hug, Gen, Post Episode: s03e23 Finish Line, Seizures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2018-11-04 09:54:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10988517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfKomoki/pseuds/WolfKomoki
Summary: It's been one year since Barry Allen sacrificed himself to the speed force. As Team Flash grieved, Barry Allen spent an eternity in hell. Jay Garrick manages to rescue Barry, but by then, it's too late, Barry is already gone.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The Flash is owned by The CW.

          

 

 

“Barry Allen, here again. Though, I gotta say, sacrificing yourself? That wasn’t what I was expecting.” Snart greets.

          “Why not? _You did it_.” Barry asks. If there was one thing that Barry learned, it’s that time didn’t pass in the speed force. Having sacrificed himself, Barry knew that he would spend an eternity here.

          “Yes, I did it, to save my friends.” Snart informs.

          “Why are you here Barry?” Eddie demands.

          “The speed force needed a sacrifice, or it was going to swallow the whole planet. Billions of lives would have been lost.” Barry answers.

          “And you decided that that was going to be you.” Snart realizes.

          “It was either my life, or the life of billions. I choose billions.” Barry snaps.

          “I hope you’re ready to spend an eternity here.” Eddie sighs.

“Well, I don’t have much choice, now do I?” Barry growls. He just wanted to spend an eternity here in peace, not be chastised by the speed force. It was at this point that Snart fires the cold gun at Barry’s leg. When he did that, Barry whimpers in pain.

          “You shouldn’t have come here Flash. Leonard Snart was supposed to be the one to sacrifice himself, and then you just decide to follow in his footsteps.” Snart scoffed.

          “My life isn’t worth the life of _billions_ of people!” Barry shouts.

          “I always knew you had a martyr complex, but this is over the top.” Eddie scoffs.

          “You expect me to let billions of people _die_ to save me?” Barry scoffs.

          “We expect you to not be a martyr. You were supposed to live a long and happy life.” Eddie growls.

          “Well, fancy seeing you here.” Savitar chuckles, and that’s when Barry’s heart almost stopped.

          “No. You were erased from _existence_!” Barry shouts.

          “Everything that existed has to go somewhere. The speed force is where speedsters go.” Savitar chuckles, and that’s when he grabs Barry by the shoulder, forcing him to relive his worst memories.

          “ _You have to let me stop him!_ ” Memory Barry yells, banging on the glass of his cell in the pipeline.

          “ _Okay. You want to do this now? Out here? Fine. Mardon is dead. There is no controlling the weather, Barry. Just like there was no lightning storm in your house that night. It was your brain, helping a scared little boy accept what he saw._ ” Memory Joe snaps.

          “ _My dad did not murder my mother._ ” Memory Barry growls.

          “ _Yes, he did! Your dad killed your mother, Barry! I am sorry, son! But I knew it, the jury knew it, and now he's paying for what he did_.” Memory Joe shouts.

          “ _Dad, enough!_ ” Memory Iris snaps.

          “ _Unh-uh, Iris. I have done my best to take care of you since that night, and I have never asked for anything in return, not even a thank you, but what I am asking now is that you for once in your life see things as they are.”_ Memory Joe snaps.

“ _You’re sorry? That you killed my brother? 'Cause he was here. He was alive... Until you created Flashpoint, until you did this.”_ Memory Cisco snaps.

          “ _There is one thing you can do for me, mate. Quit. Tender your resignation from the Central City Police Department, effective immediately. I can overlook the unexplained absences, the constant disregard for the rules and regulations, but your moral compass is broken, my friend. I point-blank refuse to work with someone whose sense of right or wrong is as flippant as the weather, someone who thinks friendship is more important than justice. You are unfit to be CSI. Barry Allen has no place in law enforcement._ ” Memory Julian snaps.

When Barry hears the sound of a gunshot, he was startled.

          “ _Eddie! What did you do? What did you do? What did you do?”_ Memory Joe sobs.

          “ _No such thing as a coincidence.”_ Memory Eddie moans.

“ _What's happening_?” Memory Barry gasps.

          “ _Eddie's his ancestor. If Eddie dies, he'll never be born, and... He's being erased from existence.”_ Memory Cisco shrieks. As Barry watched these memories, he curled into a ball, shaking with tears.

          “No, no, please. Stop, _stop_!” He pleads, shaking from the memories. Eventually he cries himself to sleep, and that’s when Savitar brings him to Star Labs. After that, he puts him on the floor next to one of the cots, running away from Barry’s memories. When Barry wakes up, a harsh hand grabs him by his shoulder, forcing him up from the floor.

          “ _Get up_!” His doppelganger growls.

          “I don’t understand, who are you?” Barry asks with confusion.

          “Are you fucking serious right now? I’m you, dumbass. Or rather, I’m one of the many Barry’s you’ve left behind.” Flashpoint Barry laughed.

          “Please, get me out of here!” Barry pleads.

          “Oh, so you want help, huh? You thought you could go back in time and fix everything? Twist time the way you wanted it to go?” Flashpoint Barry smirks.

          “I was _grieving_. My father had just been murdered in front of me.” Barry snapped.

          “Bullshit Barry. You and I both know that you didn’t care about anybody else but _you_. You thought you could go back in time and save your mother, and that everything would be okay again.” Flashpoint Barry growls.

          “I was _grieving_! My father had just been murdered in front of me! We hadn’t been able to spend that much time together after he was released from prison!” Barry snaps.

          “But you didn’t try to go see him, _did you_?” Flashpoint Barry accused.

          “He didn’t want to see me!” Barry shouts.

          “Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. Did you even _try_ to get in contact with him, or were you too busy running around as The Flash that you didn’t even bother trying to get in contact with him?” Flashpoint Barry asks.

          “That was not my fault, you son of a bitch.” Barry growls.

          “Don’t talk about our mother that way.” Flashpoint Barry chuckles.

          “Wait, wait, let me guess, you fucked up time and space for your precious father that didn’t even want to _see you_ in the first place. You think he was _worth_ all that?” Flashpoint Barry taunts.

          “Of course! He was my _father_!” Barry shouts.

          “Oh yeah, you went back in time to make sure your mother gets killed so that your father gets framed for her murder, again. Some son you are.” Flashpoint Barry scoffs.

          “It wasn’t like that, and you know it.” Barry snaps.

          “Oh, no? Well, let me tell you what _I_ remember. I was happy. I had both my parents, a happy childhood, a normal life, until you went back and reset the timeline. Until you made sure that our mom was murdered. Man, you are so selfish. I’m embarrassed to have the same name.” Flashpoint Barry snaps.

          “I don’t even know why Jay Garrick saved you in the first place. You ask me, you deserve to rot here for all eternity.” Flashpoint Barry smirked.

          “Barry!” A voice calls from the distance.

          “Oh hell, speak of the devil.” Flashpoint Barry scoffs, and that’s when he runs away from the scene. Slowly, Jay runs over to Barry.

          “Barry, come on kid, let’s get you out of here.” Jay calls, and that’s when he pushes Barry outside of the speed force.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  


 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to see what Barry saw, I made a youtube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLhRK-DuvIs&feature=youtu.be


	2. Chapter 2

          When Barry steps out of the speed force, the first thing he sees is darkness. In the speed force, it was daylight all the time. Time didn’t pass there, so it was always day time. It was also always warm in the speed force. Barry shivered against the cold, clutching his arms as he realizes that he wasn’t dressed for the cold. Shit, he really needs to get some clothes if he isn’t going to freeze to death tonight. Barry reaches into his pocket, and it’s at this point that he realizes that he doesn’t have a phone, or a wallet. When he looks up, he sees the sign for Central City.

          The sign had a picture of the Flash on it, and it reads,” _You’ll always be our hero, Flash.”._ How long has it been since he’s been there? Months, years, a century? Is everyone he knows and loves dead? Hang on a minute, why did he care? Joe never believed him about his father.

          Barry freed his father from prison, and then he didn’t even want to see him. Cisco blamed him for Dante’s death. Eddie thought that he was a monster, and he killed himself to save him. His father was killed, and instead of comforting him in his grief, they locked him up. No, they didn’t care about him, they never have. He ruined the life of Flashpoint Barry for selfish reasons. All because he couldn’t bear to part with memories of a timeline that didn’t exist anymore.

          Eventually, Barry races by a clothing store, and it was his reflection that caused him to stop running. He couldn’t see his reflection very well in the darkness, but the one thing that he could see was the slow, glowing, yellow veins around his neck. Sighing, he races inside the clothing store, grabbing as many winter outfits as he could find. After that, he goes to the changing room, changing into his winter clothing after placing his suit in the bag.

          Barry didn’t know how long it had been, but hopefully, a newspaper stand could tell him what year it is. That is, if newspapers are even still being made. There’s no telling how much time has passed since he’s been in the speed force. Eventually, he walks outside to find a newsstand. Slowly, he walked over to it, reading the date. October 10th, 2018. So, that means that he’s been gone for a year. In the speed force, though, that’s an eternity. An eternity of hell, surrounded but nothing but bad memories.

          Barry supposed that he should feel _something_ about Jay taking his place in the speed force, but the truth is, he feels numb. The speed force had tortured him for an eternity, showing him nothing but bad memories, and his worst nightmares. The speed force broke him, and Barry didn’t know if he would ever be whole again. When Barry does leave the store, he doesn’t know where to go.

          Who knows how much could have changed in a year? Is Iris even still living in their apartment? Do any of his friends still live where they did a year ago? Barry just doesn’t know, but he really doesn’t care, either. Barry supposed that that should worry him, but right now he just wanted to get somewhere warm. Eventually he finds some street lights, and that’s when he realizes that it was snowing. Well, he didn’t have to go inside right away, this was nice, way nicer than the hell he was in.

          Barry watched the snow fall for a while, listening to the wind brush quietly against the snow. Barry had never had time to enjoy the snow as an adult, between his job, and Flash duty, it consumed most of his time.

Slowly, he bends down, and that’s when he cuffs the snow into his gloves, creating a snowball. Smiling, he runs back and forth across the snow, throwing snowballs into the air as he watches them hit the ground. People would probably think that he was strange if they watched him, after all he was having a snowball fight with no one. Still, Barry was enjoying himself, and so he falls to the ground, making snow angels.

          It was about ten minutes later when Barry could hear his stomach growling, and that’s when he sighs. Stupid speedster metabolism, he didn’t want to have to leave the snow yet. He needs to eat, though, so he really didn’t have much choice in the matter. Barry supposed that he should go to his and Iris’s apartment, but he really didn’t want to have to deal with the crying, and the hugging right now. Right now, he just wanted some food, and sleep. So, he decides to run to Julian’s apartment, hoping that he still lived there. It takes several moments before Barry knocks on the door, thinking of what he was going to say. He’s standing there for ten minutes when he begins to wonder if Julian even lives there anymore. Twelve minutes later, the door opens, and that’s when Julian’s eyes widened in shock.

          “Allen?” He asks incredulously.

          “Yeah. Look can I come inside? It’s freezing out here.” Barry pleads.

          “Of course, you idiot, get in here.” Julian chuckles, walking inside the apartment with Barry.

          “Bathroom’s down the hall to the right.” Julian states, and that’s when Barry walks in the room. Now that he was somewhere warm, he slowly peels off all the extra layers, except the ones around his neck. He still feels the veins on his neck. They’re slow, warm, and they tickle. He doesn’t want Julian to see them, he doesn’t want anyone to see them, so he hides them as he returns to the living room, sitting on the couch. When Julian looks at Barry, he notices that something was off.

          For one thing, his eyes are just… dead. They have no emotion in them. Another thing is his voice. Barry didn’t think he noticed it, but Julian knew that he was faking being happy. Whatever happened in the speed force must have broken him.

         

         

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I've never had a seizure before, so this is mostly based on my imagination.

          “Aren’t you burning up in that?” Julian asks, attempting to take off Barry’s scarf.

          “No.” Barry says quickly. He doesn’t want Julian to see the veins around his neck, he wouldn’t even begin to know how to explain them.

          “Barry, come on. I can see you sweating under that. Come on, you can take that off.” Julian sighs. Barry blinks as the room starts to fade.

“ _You have to let me stop him!_ ” _Memory Barry yells, banging on the glass of his cell in the pipeline._

          “ _Okay. You want to do this now? Out here? Fine. Mardon is dead. There is no controlling the weather, Barry. Just like there was no lightning storm in your house that night. It was your brain, helping a scared little boy accept what he saw._ ” _Memory Joe snaps._

“ _My dad did not murder my mother._ ” _Memory Barry growls._

          “ _Yes, he did! Your dad killed your mother, Barry! I am sorry, son! But I knew it, the jury knew it, and now he's paying for what he did_.” _Memory Joe shouts._

          “ _Dad, enough!_ ” _Memory Iris snaps._

          “ _Unh-uh, Iris. I have done my best to take care of you since that night, and I have never asked for anything in return, not even a thank you, but what I am asking now is that you for once in your life see things as they are.” Memory Joe snaps._

“ _You’re sorry? That you killed my brother? 'Cause he was here. He was alive... Until you created Flashpoint, until you did this.” Memory Cisco snaps._

          “ _There is one thing you can do for me, mate. Quit. Tender your resignation from the Central City Police Department, effective immediately. I can overlook the unexplained absences, the constant disregard for the rules and regulations, but your moral compass is broken, my friend. I point-blank refuse to work with someone whose sense of right or wrong is as flippant as the weather, someone who thinks friendship is more important than justice. You are unfit to be CSI. Barry Allen has no place in law enforcement._ ” _Memory Julian snaps._

_When Barry hears a gunshot, he was startled_.

          “ _Eddie! What did you do? What did you do? What did you do?” Memory Joe sobs._

          “ _No such thing as a coincidence.” Memory Eddie moans._

“ _What's happening_?” _Memory Barry gasps._

          “ _Eddie's his ancestor. If Eddie dies, he'll never be born, and... He's being erased from existence.” Memory Cisco shrieks._

Julian blinks when Barry’s eyes suddenly go slack, and he just starts staring into space. His arm starts twitching violently, and that’s when his eyes widened. Holy shit, was Barry having a seizure? He’s grabbing his phone now, timing the seizure. If it goes over five minutes, he’d have to take Barry to Star Labs. He can’t exactly call 9-1-1.

_Memory Barry was holding onto Iris. He’s crying, begging her to stay with him, until Iris is placed with HR. Memory Barry cries out in shock._

_“HR?” He gasps._

_“BA.” Memory HR gasps out._

_“What?” Memory Barry gasps._

_“Wanted… to… prove… myself…” Memory HR gasps. Memory Barry feels the breath leave his body. Barry blinks when David Singh appears in his and Iris’s apartment. He’s being cuffed, and that’s when Barry cries out in shock._

_“Bartholomew Henry Barry Allen, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?” David calls out, reading him his Miranda rights._

_Barry was currently staring at a baby. Joe and Cecile had had a healthy baby. Barry smiles as he looks down at the tiny face staring back at him._

_“Who’d have thought that we’d add another West to the family?” Joe smiles._

_Barry finds himself outside. He’s watching the stars going out, one by one. Was this the end of the world?_

          Julian frowns when he realizes that it’s been three minutes. _Come on Allen, snap out of it. You’re scaring me, mate._

Julian sighs with relief when he comes out of it about a minute later.

          “Allen?” Julian calls. Barry slowly blinks.

“Julian?” He asks.

          “You had a seizure mate. I think we should get you to Star Labs.” Julian explains. Barry yawns.

          “No. Sleep now.” He protests. Julian sighs.

          “Okay mate, but I’m taking you to Star Labs myself tomorrow.” He insists.

          “Mm.” Barry says as he slowly falls asleep. Julian gets off the couch after that, going into the guest room as he grabs a pillow and blanket. After that, he returns to the living room, lifting Barry as he places the pillow on the couch. After that, he pushes him back down, making sure his head lies against the pillow. After that, he covers him in the blanket, making sure to leave the light on in the kitchen. He’d remembered that Barry preferred to sleep with the lights on in the many nights he’d spend at Star Labs when he was too injured to go home. Julian goes to sleep in his room after that, taking his phone with him.

Barry wakes up sometime in the afternoon to the feeling of a blanket and a pillow. Slowly, he opens his eyes, and that’s when he realizes something: this, wasn’t his apartment. He looks around in a panic, slowly getting dressed as he stands up. What the hell did he do last night? Why was he in some stranger’s apartment? Slowly, his memories start to come back to him. He’d escaped the speed force last night after a year of being imprisoned. In his confusion, he’d stumbled into Julian’s apartment, asking to stay overnight.

He blinks when he sees a note on the table next to the couch. Slowly, he grabs it. _Hey Allen, I don’t know when you’ll wake up, so if you wake up before I return from work, make sure you go to Star Labs, so they can monitor your seizures._ The note reads.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all, I am heartbroken over that season finale. Absolutely heartbroken. They better get Barry back, because The Flash without Barry Allen is not a Flash that I want to watch.  
> Also, if you've ever played Life is strange, then you may recognize the scene where Flashpoint Barry talks to our Barry.


End file.
